Thread by @roamhacker

So today @dvargas92495 brought up a really good question. Many are using SmartBlocks to not just build workflows for daily activities, but some are building very complex SmartBlocks with the JavaScript (connections to YouTube, GDrive, poetry and Shakespeare API's - wild stuff)

So while SmartBlocks has JS support, its not a primary goal. So his question was: why are people using it that way since you could just do roam/js. I have also wondered the same thing. I asked @shawnpmurphy8 (maker of famous attributes table extension) & he had strong opinions.

He said: Here is my thoughts on why folks are gravitating so heavily to SmartBlocks.
+ because it is simple
+ it is easy to develop/test as you go
+ it is easy to do hybrid... JS + SB COMMANDs + some general template stuff (indent / unindent etc.)

+ all in one place... don't have to think about whether to do a SB or whether to create a roam/js ext
+ roam/js gets messy. What is turned on, what isn't... how to nest it... is it conflicting with something else.
+ easy way to call the JS with the ;; menu and the SB buttons

+ basically overall the most important is low barrier to entry. No real friction.
+ it is like a ad-hoc sandboxed environment that allows for quick development/testing etc.

Now for why I think others are gravitating towards it (and not just reasons I like to use SmartBlocks):

+ first off roam42 community
+ people get responses quickly. so if someone has some crazy idea and don't really know how to code it, they can post to roam42 and know they'll get an answer pretty quickly.

+ I think it is easy for folks to conceptualize because of the "hybrid" ability of mixing SB engine / workflow / COMMANDs with sprinkling in JS too. So it is an attractive entry point for them to start learning JS.
+ Again, one place to do "all your cool stuff"... just type ;;

+ If you want to edit/modify something, you know where to go. # 42SmartBlock page and look at linked references to see all your smartblocks / "code".